Suit Style & Fit
Pinstripe suits: chalk stripe, pinstripe and how to wear them now
- Written by
- The Roomten tailors
- Published
- 2026-09-04
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-04
- Reading time
- 5 min
- pinstripe suit
- chalk stripe
- business suits
- suit patterns
- guide
In short
A pinstripe is a fine, closely spaced stripe on a smooth worsted; a chalk stripe is a softer, wider stripe on flannel. Both still work — keep the stripe subtle, the spacing close and the cut clean, and consider a double-breasted front for chalk stripe.
Pinstripe or chalk stripe
Pinstripe is the sharper City cloth: a fine stripe, often white or self-coloured, on navy or charcoal worsted. Chalk stripe is broader and softer-edged, traditionally on flannel, and looks as though it has been drawn on with chalk — warmer in character and very good double-breasted.
Keeping it current
- Choose a narrow stripe with close spacing; wide, widely spaced stripes date fastest.
- Tonal stripes — navy on navy, grey on charcoal — are the easiest to wear.
- Match the stripes across the back and through the pockets; a mismatched stripe is instantly visible.
Wearing it
A striped suit already carries the visual interest, so plain shirts and quiet ties. A chalk-stripe flannel double-breasted with black oxfords is one of the strongest looks in British tailoring; a fine navy pinstripe is simply a serious business suit.